It was Shakespeare who said that life is a fleeting shadow. It is a breath that God lends us at birth, a debt that He collects as He wills, whenever He pleases. The only thing we are assured of in life is that one day, we will die. However, to die need not be the end of one’s life, as there are many ways that we can be immortal. Spiritually and in the hope of heaven, that would mean having the right relationship with our Creator. On earth, it would mean leaving legacies or being written into them. It was in this light that Benjamin Franklin said, “If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing.”
Mr Charles Chibuzor Anyasi embodied this and wrote his biography through his deeds in the meaningful 60 years he lived from 1957 to 2017. The charcoal picture of him, which you would find on the inner back cover of the book, shows the face of a fulfilled man with a confident smile who conquered life in the breath when he lived above the earth. The story of this conquest is the content of SIGNATURE OF SUCCESS, written by Dr Island C. Anyasi and Eric E. Aliagwu.
The book is divided into eight chapters, preceded by three essential parts: an introduction, a prologue and an image showing the Anyasi family tree. In the introduction, Dr Anyasi, one of the authors and the first son of the biography’s subject, lets the readers in on why the book was written and offers a needed guide to the book’s contents. This is a necessary piece that prepares the mind of readers for a better understanding of what is to follow. He also gives a description of Mr Anyasi that will govern the style of the book and how everything else is written. In his words: “…Mr Anyasi was a classy man with great taste. More than these, he was also a philanthropist with a great heart” (11). This might inform why the book is done in a classy way with great taste, with rich crème paper and an embossed cover to show the fine essence of the subject matter. Today’s occasion could also have been a two-second affair or not done at all, but it would not showcase the fullness of Mr Anyasi’s class and great taste. Thus, the biography, from conception to production and this public unveiling, is all orchestrated in the true spirit of Mr Charles Chibuzor Anyasi.
The Prologue, ‘The Journey’, briefly foreshadows the eventual events that will lead to the final phase of the book, where we will see the earthly departure of Mr. Anyasi. The 8 chapters that follow chronologically capture the life of Mr Charles Chibuzor Anyasi from his humble beginnings on this earth to his death, followed by final words and tributes with an afterword.
‘Humble Beginnings’, the first chapter, discusses Mr Anyasi’s early beginnings, family, and education. The second chapter, ‘His Entrepreneurial Journey’, talks of his business exploits, while the third chapter, ‘Boss Par Excellence’, pushes the discourse further. In chapter four, ‘A Passion for God’, the spiritual side of Mr Anyasi is shown in various contexts, particularly in religious circumstances. He was a committed Christian who gave his time to support his local church such that he became a known figure leading various causes. Connecting to this but more towards his charitable nature, the next chapter, ‘The Philanthropist’, shows Mr Anyasi’s large heart and giving spirit. In chapter six, his role as a family man is highlighted. The next chapters cover his demise, its effects on those around him and tributes. An afterword gives an overview of a well-lived life, while there is a section, ‘Notes’ that helps with a clearer understanding of Mr Anyasi’s direct family.
There is a popular understanding that a picture is worth a thousand words. The biographers of this text know this. Thus, to capture Mr Anyasi’s ‘ginger and swagger’, there are eleven beautiful pages of photos that chronicle his life in various phases. His carefree nature and seriousness are present in his life as a personal, professional and public persona. Anyone who knew him would resonate with the shots, while those who never met him would get an introduction.
SIGNATURE OF SUCCESS, written like a literary text, seeks to capture the life of its subject and give readers an enjoyable reading experience. This informs the style of writing, which employs simple language, mostly devoid of ambiguity. Any reader can pick the text and read it without any grammatical hiccups. This is unlike those texts that will have you running to your dictionaries after every three lines.
There are great quotes scattered throughout the book, which are lovely to read. They also give needed advice to readers. For instance, there is the quote, ‘Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them’ by George Eliot. This reminds us that to die is not to be forgotten or lost forever until our loved ones decide that we shall be forgotten or lost. We have a duty to preserve the memories of our loved ones so that in the end we might also have our loved ones preserve our memories. We can ask ourselves what we have done to ensure that our loved ones are remembered?
We also need to remember that if we want to be remembered, we must live lives worth remembering.
Dr Island C. Anyasi and Eric Aliagwu have done a wonderful job translating the life of Mr Charles Chibuzor Anyasi into 80 pages of a well-told story accompanied by lovely pictures. This man meant many things to many people and should serve as a lesson to us all.
I urge that we support this biographical project by picking copies for ourselves and for others. Importantly, let us read the book and encourage others to do so too. Having worked closely with the authors on this project, I can attest that it is a labour of love worth rewarding.
As we support this cause, may God protect us, keep us and give us reasons to be remembered positively and captured lovingly into the pages of time. Amen.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER:
Su’ur Su’eddie Vershima Agema is a multiple-award-winning writer, cultural activist, development consultant and one of Nigeria’s most notable poets in 2022. Su’eddie was listed among Nigerian Writers Award’s 100 Most Influential Nigerian Writers Under 40 (2017 & 2018) and EGC’s Top 50 Contemporary Poets Who Rocked Nigeria (2012-2017). He has also been Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (Benue State Chapter) and Council Member of the Association of Nigerian Authors National Teen Authorship Scheme.
He was previously the Black History Month/Project Curator and co-founder/president of African Writers [Society] at the University of Sussex, where he earned an MA with distinction in International Education and Development as a Chevening Scholar. He is a 2022 David C. Pollock Scholar of the international Families in Global Transition.
Su’eddie is the Managing Editor of the notable African poetry collective Konya Shamsrumi. He is the Managing Director of SEVHAGE Publishing and Executive Director, SEVHAGE Literary and Development Initiative, while convening the annual Benue Book and Arts [International] Festival. Su’eddie blogs at http://sueddie.wordpress.com and http://sevhagereviews. wordpress.com @sueddieagema on Twitter/Instagram. He lives in a couple of places internationally with his wife, children, and members of their clan.
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